A Different Comfort
by PoorlyKnitted
Summary: What if when Edward and the Cullen's left Bella behind in New Moon someone stays behind? And what if that someone was a certain guilty Whitlock?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, nor do I want to. Wouldn't mind getting Jasper though...**

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She didn't know what she was doing. She was just so…empty.

A drop of rain fell on her forehead and with great effort; she tilted her face to look above her. Leaves. Dark green leaves hanging from green moss covered branches were shielding her from the sky, and from the light pit pat noises steadily increasing, the growing rain as well.

She let her face fall back onto the muddy, moss covered ground. Who cared anymore? Obviously not her, virtually abandoned as she stumbled after Ed-

She curled farther into herself as the pain hit her. She couldn't bear to think of Him. Not with how he left her, saying she was just a toy-was she always just a toy?- leaving her alone, taking her family from her, the only ones she knew here in too green Forks. He didn't care. Why should she?

A hoarse, choked laugh fell from her lips, sounding even more twisted coming from the throat that sobbed and screamed His name for hours as she tripped farther and farther into the overgrown forest.

"_Oh how the mighty Bella Swan has fallen."_

She was sure that's what people like Jessica would mutter when they found out about how He left her. How They left her. But unlike all the times her clumsy nature made her trip before…Bella was sure she wouldn't survive this.

It hurt so much, far more than when James bit her and started the spiral that she knew, deep down would lead to this. Instead of the intense burning sensation of fire running through her veins, she got almost the exact opposite. There was a sharp cold within her, starting from what she was sure had to be a gaping hole in her chest, and spreading throughout her muscles, taking out her limbs one by one. She was sure that she could never recover from being frozen solid.

Bella curled further into herself, wrapping her arms around her as she laid there on the forest floor. Yes, between this gaping hole in her chest with its jagged edges, and the growing frozen numbness blanketing her, there was no way she would survive this fall. Oh what was she thinking falling in love? She had no experience with this. She had no intention to end up so consumed with that feeling. It was so overwhelming, her love for Him, that she couldn't recall having room for any other feelings when He was around.

But, He had left. He was gone and she was nothing. Just plain, boring Isabella. A nobody, just like He said. A flitting, human, fancy to distract from the ever monotonous eternity. There was nothing special about her. Not even her unique blood scent could keep His attention. And the others…They probably just played along to His new hobby. She meant nothing. No one cared. Not for her…

With a light, pathetic whimper she let her chocolate eyes become unfocused as she slipped into the dark hole of her mind.

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"Oh Isabella. Fuck, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry…"

She blinked in response to a voice saying her name. Who…Who was that? They sounded so sad. She wanted to make that voice stop sounding so sad. They didn't have to be sad…She was the one all alone. She couldn't get her eyes to focus. Everything was so heavy...so numb…

Maybe she was imagining things. Yes, her mind had to be making up melodic voices to try and ease her from her loneliness. But, this voice…it wasn't one she remembered hearing much from Them. It seemed too rough. It was a deeper voice. Still musical in its own right yet less perfect, more smoke filled. Where had she heard that voice?

She felt herself being lifted gently into strong arms. Uselessly, Bella cringed and gripped tighter to her body. The hole in her chest didn't like being jostled. She should just be allowed to stay here, on the muddy forest floor like the discarded toy she was.

"Shit. I don't feel anything from you. You're…numb? God Isabella, I'm so sorry…"

That smoke filled voice was back, causing the chest she was cradled so gently against to rumble. She felt like a child who had wandered out at night and now someone comforting came to bring her back inside to the warmth. She almost felt…safe. Bella clutched to the shirt in front of her, a low whining forming in her throat, trying to convey her pain. To let this safe someone know about her missing heart in her frozen body.

"Shush darlin'. It's a'right. I'm gonna take care of ya. Don't worry, I'm goin' to make this better. Just sleep now hun."

Wait. She knew that twang. That southern accent, it rushed her with a wave of familiarity. And as a sense of extreme lethargy took over her, one thought stayed suspended in her over worked dark hole of a mind.

…_Jasper?_

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**AN: Sorry it's so short. Had to set a base for the idea that just came to me. More to come!**_  
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	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Wow, I wasn't expecting to get so many reviews so soon. You readers sure know how to keep a writer motivated! As requested her is chapter two. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I wish to. **

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Bella awoke to find herself tucked gently into her warm bed, the covers mused only slightly like she had just woken up from a nap. She shifted more into that welcoming warmth, desperate to cling to that groggy edge that swarmed inside her. If only she could sleep some more…maybe forever…then maybe…

Maybe it would all just be a dream.

Maybe He didn't leave. Maybe They didn't leave. Maybe she wasn't all alone.

Wait, how did she end up in her bed? She was sure she had just wanted to lay in that forest forever. There was no way that she could have moved her pain filled body all the way back to her bed, even if she somehow could figure out how to get out of the forest. Not her; poor pathetic Bella. She was just a toy, just a thing to pass the time, just a-

"Please. Stop with the self-loathing…I'm sure I have enough of that for the both of us."

At the sound of that strained voice Bella shot up in bed, her chocolate eyes wide and searching her room for the source.

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"Jasper…"

Her voice sounded raw, and she could barely hear it herself, but she was sure the vampire with the shaggy blonde hair of curls could hear her just fine.

She found her answer when he nodded his head; half in acknowledgement, half in what almost felt apologetic.

"Isabella."

He wasn't sitting in the rocking chair. The chair He always used to sit in while he watched her. No, Jasper was sitting in her computer chair by her desk, rod straight like any moment he expected to be inspected for any faults.

Must be the soldier in him. To always be alert and ready.

Suddenly she felt hope swell within her. Maybe They stayed. Maybe He lied and He was the only one to leave. Maybe her family fought for her. Fought to stay with her. Just as she was about to open her mouth and ask Jasper cut her off.

"Isabella. I'm…I'm sorry. I know you feel hopeful, I can only guess it's to hope that the family is still here…but…It's only me. I'm sorry."

Her arms came up to wrap around her as she felt the edges of the hole in her chest tang with loss. She was beginning to feel numb again, but she had to try, had to ask.

"They're gone? All of them…even…" She took a breath, wrapping her arms around her tighter. It hurt to even think that her best friend had left too; left without a goodbye, or a care in the world. Her sentence ended in a whisper. "Even Alice?"

Jasper nearly flinched at the sound of his mate's name. It couldn't be. Alice couldn't have just left. Maybe she could have left her…but not Jasper, not her mate. Suddenly she was angry at Alice. How could she leave her mate when it was obvious even to lowly human Bella that he was hurting? Jasper looked up shocked at her anger but before he could ask the words poured out of her mouth in a deluge of word vomit.

"How could she do that to you Jasper? She can't just leave you here! It's obvious that you're upset about what happened at my birthday but it wasn't even you're fault! Surely as your mate she could tell that you were feeling everyone's blood lust and not just your own! She is so selfish to just blame you!"

Jasper blinked at her, eyes wide from being exposed to the sudden onslaught of Bella's words. He wasn't sure he had ever heard her talk so much, or with so much passion. She always seemed so timid. He would have to worry about her reaction later but right now some of her words had him puzzled.

"Alice isn't my mate, Isabella."

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**AN: dun dun dun~ **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: As per demand, another chapter for my dear readers!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Twilight. Stop asking. jeez...**

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"_Alice isn't my mate, Isabella."_

Those words hung in the air as Bella tried to process them. Jasper and Alice…weren't mates? But they seemed so in love, so enthralled with each other, and He had said they were, just like He said Bella was his mate.

Maybe everything was all just lies. Maybe He just lied to keep his toy acting how He wanted. It was just more proof that He didn't want her; maybe none of Them ever wanted her. It must have been so easy to just leave the breakable human behind and move on in Their never ending eternity, forgetting her with the ease that came with time while she suffered from their loss. Oh it hurt so much! That cold that threatened to consume her very soul!

A pained gasp broke her from her musing and she suddenly remembered that Jasper was there in the room with her. Why was he there? As a babysitter to watch her? Make sure she didn't blab their precious secret to the first person who passed by? Did they think so little of their toy?

She really was nothing to Them.

She stared at Jasper, finally seeing that he had his arms wrapped around his body in a carbon copy of how she felt. It looked like he was trying to hold himself together by the threads; the pain was so much he was taking gasps of air into him, unable to talk.

"If it hurts you so much to feel what your family did to me just manipulate me! That's nothing new for your family is it?"

His eyes flew up to her. Dark burnt butterscotch filled with pain. Perhaps what she said was spiteful…All well. She didn't care. She was done caring about anything.

Jasper took a deep breath before gasping out in a pained breath,

"I can't."

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Bella froze.

"I'm sorry, what?"

She suddenly felt guilty for forcing Jasper to feel the pain that wasn't his to carry. She couldn't let her pain make her become cruel. That wouldn't be right. That wasn't who she was. She wished she could take it back. Make it so he wouldn't have to feel what was rightfully hers to suffer through…

Jasper's eyes suddenly cleared and he looked at her with amazement.

"How did you do that?" His voice was filled with wonder and Bella stared at him like he was insane.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She glared at him as he smirked with a tilt of his lips that she couldn't help but notice and waved her hand to tell him to keep talking. He raised a delicate eyebrow at her impatience as he continued to smirk.

"My, my, Isabella. You cursed darlin'." Jasper's voice was dripping with amusement and Bella dully noted that his southern accent was back before huffing at him.

"Yeah cowboy and your southern accent slipped. Now tell me what you meant when you said you couldn't manipulate my emotions. Or better yet what happened right then!"

Jasper shook his head slightly in amusement, muttering 'Who 'new she was such a spitfi'e' before looking Bella in the eyes and continuing.

"I can't influence your emotions anymore. Not since I found ya in the… forest… Well, unless I touch you. But I think it's best if I ask ya before I do that, I think."

Bella tried to process this as Jasper continued with his spiel. Really, it must be that southern accent distracting her. Her thoughts were so hard to put together when he slipped up and spoke like that…

"Oh. And a right minute ago you blocked your emotions from me darlin'. Still can't feel 'em."

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She blinked. And blinked again. And kept blinking as she felt her eyes widen from shock. She could have sworn she even tilted her head to the side before blinking her wide chocolate eyes at him again.

"Um, Isabella?" Jasper waved his hand in front of her face. Damn. He broke her. Leave it to him to break the human after only the second time of being alone with her. And she was so fucking interesting too…

"I'm a shield."

Bella's whispered words broke him from his musing and he was by her side in a second.

"What did you say?"

She turned those damn bottomless chocolate eyes towards him and smiled a broken little smile.

"Don't you get it Jasper? I'm a shield. It makes perfect sense! Why He couldn't read my thoughts, why She had problems seeing my future sometimes…and now why you can't manipulate my emotions unless you touch me! When…" She stumbled over the words she would have to speak to voice how she has been left. "Well…in the forest…my shield must have strengthened to try and protect me."

Jasper didn't miss the way she avoided Alice's name, and he couldn't help but be thankful that she was considerate towards his feelings. His wife and him hadn't been on the best terms lately…if he could even still call her his wife still…

He grinned at Bella.

"That has to be it! You must be right Isabella! It makes perfect sense."

Her smile widened a bit before it fell. She let her hand move to brush his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes before flinching back and recoiling into herself, radiating unworthiness and uncertainty.

"Why…why do you call me that?"

He blinked. What the fuck was that?

"Isabella?" He asked questionably. That must be what she was wondering. He could remember that the family always called her Bella. She nodded to confirm his thoughts and he nearly scoffed at her before his smirk came back.

"I don't make it a habit to call anyone by anything than which they are, Isabella. Your name is Isabella so that's what I'm gonna call you."

She nodded in understanding before recognition flashed in her eyes and he felt mischief leaking from her.

"Well then why do you let Them call you Hale? I'm pretty sure that's not your real name."

He nearly gagged at the memory that he had to share a last name with Rosalie. There was nothing overtly wrong with the girl he called his sister other than a tendency to be a bit more bitchy than needed, but it was just another reminder of the things Alice changed about him.

"You're right darlin'. That's not my real name…"

She smiled before holding out her hand towards him, causing him to tilt his head quizzically_._

"Well then cowboy, nice to meet you. What's your name?"

He grinned before shaking her hand and tucking his head down in greeting.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am. Pleasure to meet ya."

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**AN: Longest chapter yet. Getting into the groove and hopefully the next chapters will continue to grow longer...**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Alright, alright, I'm super sorry for the long wait. Life decided to screw me over a bit and things have been busy. I promise to try to update more for you all!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. That is purely Stephanie Meyer's creation.**

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Jasper Whitlock.

It fitted him somehow. A strong, sturdy name that demanded respect. Yet it still seemed to appear kind of playful with the inclinations forced upon the letters when spoken. A no nonsense type of name full of mischief. A "treasurer" of things.

She liked it.

She liked it a lot actually.

Bella shook her head slightly to try and knock that thought process out of her mind. She had always put too much stock in names. Part of the reason she always hated her own. How could she possibly live up to the name of former queens?

But if Jasper could embrace his name…maybe she could try to do the same. At the very least she had to stop putting so much stress upon them. After all, His name had meant "rich guard", and she had taken that to mean He was meant to be her guardian angel to always watch over her.

She snorted to herself. Obviously that ideology was severally flawed.

"Do I want to know what's funny, darlin'?" Jasper's voice washed over her with a smidgen of smug that she was positive she'd see if she looked at him.

Yep.

There was that smirk. She shook her head at him with a deviously innocent expression.

"Nope. Not even a little, cowboy."

Jasper shook his head fondly at her, a little smile forming at his lips.

"Fine. Fine. Ya don't have to tell me." He looked at her with a fake pout upon his lips and batted his eyes at her in the perfect imitation of a girl trying too hard for attention. "Ev'n if ya wound me so."

Bella laughed, loud and clear before her hands flew to her mouth. She laughed. Genuinely laughed. Who knew she could do that with an ache in her chest…

The smile upon Jasper's face told her to ignore the marvel of her laughter and just let him have his moment. She liked his sense of humor anyway. Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly at her, as well as her vampire companion with super sensitive hearing. She cringed in embarrassment.

Jasper's smile softened to a look that was almost tender.

"Maybe I should feed the human."

She stuck his tongue out at him and he clutched his heart pretending to be wounded. With a roll of her eyes she went to get out of bed. However, as soon as she threw the covers off she was hit with a wave of abandonment, like her safety net was torn from under her. She buckled over, clutching the hole in her that seemed to tear open and echo through her whole soul.

"Shhh. Shh. It's a'right darlin'. I got cha. Back in bed with ya. Thatta girl." Jasper's soothing southern twang washed over her as his hands delicately tucked her back into bed. With measured breaths Bella tried to focus on the feeling of her blanket wrapping her up in warmth.

"S-sorry" She managed to gasp out, burying her head into her pillow. It didn't smell like Him. The load of laundry she did before ensured that. Her pillow smelled like nothing but fresh, clean, fabric. It comforted her.

Jasper's fingers ghosted over her hair as he whispered soft coos like she was a newborn child.

"No need to feel sorry, darlin'. Ya been through a lot. Maybe ya just gotta take it a step at a time."

Bella buried her face deeper into her pillow. Why was Jasper being so sweet to her? She just didn't understand it. Her stomach growled again and she let out a groan of frustration.

Jasper's rough chuckle filled the room.

"Maybe I should make ya somethin'. How 'bout that?"

Bella nodded her head without lifting it from the safe spot she had created with in her pillow.

"That would be nice, thanks."

Her voice was muffled but she knew without a doubt her heard her. The brief gust of wind a second later proved her right. With a sigh she let her body slump.

She really had no idea why Jasper was with her…but she wasn't going to complain.

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**AN: Sorry it's so short! But hey, at least it's something!**


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